Alan Watkins, 1933-2010

The great British political columnist Alan Watkins died on Saturday at the age of 77. Watkins, “widely considered to be the author of many phrases now in common use, coining ‘chattering classes’, ‘men in grey suits’ and ‘young fogeys,’” wrote the terrific memoir A Short Walk Down Fleet Street, which will go into the historical record as a snapshot of an era long gone but much nostalgized. The book contains one of my favorite descriptions of all time: Of a Conservative politician, Watkins wrote: “Talking to Edward du Cann was rather like walking downstairs and somehow missing the last step. You were uninjured but remained disconcerted.” It doesn’t get much better than that.